The McDonald’s logo consisting of two yellow arches forming an “M” is called the Golden Arches.
The symbol grew from the distinctive arches placed on McDonald’s restaurant buildings in the 1950s. Their bright color and large scale made them highly visible to passing drivers. The company later joined the two arch forms into a graphic mark that could identify restaurants even without a full sign reading “McDonald’s.”
The term refers to the symbol itself, not to a particular slogan or mascot. It is also different from the original Speedee character mark, which belonged to the company’s earlier branding. Although the logo is commonly described as an “M,” its history comes from architectural arches rather than from a typographic redesign alone.